7/3/08

Alternative Software for Vodacom HSDPA Modem (E220 Huawei Modem)

Want an alternative dashboard software for your E220 Huawei Modem, the standard Vodacom SA(South Africa) issued HSDPA modem?

Experiencing the following?
Vodacom software seems unresponsive? Slow to start up?
Constantly asking you to install the software when you plug the modem in, even if youve installed it before?

Then the below is for you...

Procedure;
1. Go to http://www.huawei.com/mobileweb/en/doc/list.do?type=-1&id=736 and select the following file to download, E220 Client Software UTPSB002D03SP1+C03 for WinXP&2K&Vista (7115kb)20-Mar-2008
2. Once downloaded plug in Vodacom USB modem and wait for the normal Vodacom icon to come up in the system tray, once it does right click and close it. (Need to do this to ensure the device drivers are installed on the PC otherwise the installation wont work)
3. Then run the downloaded file to commence the installation.
4. Once completed, remove your device and plug it back in
5. Be patient as it will load and ask you to install Mobile Partner
6 Once installed you have to go to device options and set the number to *99***16#
7. Connect

2 Important notes;
1. As long as you plug your devive into the same port you completed the above installation on, you will not be prompted to complete the software installation again, as the case is with Vodacom software
2. You can open Mobile Partner and then only plug in your modem! With vodacom software you have to wait for the software to open.

Troubleshooting;
If you experience any issue if you select connect simply do the following;
Edit the modem initialization string;
Go to start/settings/control panel and select system
Go to hardware tab and select ‘device manager’
Go to modems and highlight the Huawei modem
Right click on the modem and select ‘properties’
Go to ‘Advanced’ tab
copy the following into the ‘Extra initialization commands’
AT+CGDCONT=16,"IP","internet"
And select ‘OK’
Your connection should be fine now.

Reason for above, the VMC-L(Vodacom software) works is because the software automatically sets the modem initialisation string to AT+CGDCONT=16,"IP","internet"; and the default profile dials *99***16#, but Mobile partner doesn’t.

Ive been using this software as an alternative to Vodacom software and it seems much better to me.

If you ever want to revert back to the Vodacom software download and install the software from the following link;

http://www.vodacom.co.za/services/mobile_data/downloads.jsp and select file VMCLite_E220_3_2_1_156 standard.

Hope this is of use to you